Problems with love
by Hitchi
Summary: The trio start their sixth year! At the train ride, a handsome boy joins their compartment. He takes an interest in Hermione, which makes Ron a little jealous. Who'll get the girl? And who IS Peter Hanson?
1. Peter Hanson

**Peter Hanson**

"I can't believe we're going to start our sixth year!" Hermione Granger said. She looked over at her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. They were in the Hogwarts Express and had been lucky enough to find an empty compartment.

"Yeah, I know," Harry said. "It's like yesterday I watched the Hogwarts Express on platform 9 3/4, 11 years old. And it's like yesterday I saw you two for the first time..."

"And you came in to us, like a bossy little know-it-all," Ron said to Hermione.

"Oh, I'm a little know-it-all, am I?" Hermione hissed.

"Well, you are."

"At least, I'm not a git!"

"I'm not a git! Just because you're so smart and clever…"

Harry rolled his eyes. _Why doesn't this surprise me? _he thought.

Just when Hermione was about to snap back to Ron, the compartment door slid open. A boy came in. He was tall and really handsome. He had brown hair and blue eyes. He also had a very big, white smile which showed all of his perfect teeth.

"Hello. It's full everywhere else. Can I sit here?"

"Of course!" Hermione said, smiling. Ron scowled.

"Thanks. I'm Peter Hanson, by the way. In Ravenclaw. "

"I'm Hermione Granger," she said. She was staring at Peter. "Oh… And this is Harry Potter and Ron... Ron Weasley."

"Pleasure," he said, looking at her. "And you didn't need to tell me that. I knew who you were at once I saw you. Famous Potter, the boy who lived (and a very good seeker too). Ronald Weasley, you're the Gryffindors keeper. Awesome in the last match. 'Weasley is our king', you know." Ron tried to smile, but failed. Peter didn't notice though, because he was now, again, glancing at Hermione. "And, of course, I know who you are. Hermione Granger, the smartest student at the school. Why aren't you in my house? Then we could've been good friends. Very good friends," he said, winking at her. She blushed when she heard that.

"It doesn't matter what house we're in. We can still be good friends," she said, smiling broadly.

Harry didn't know why, but he had a feeling that Ron was going to explode soon, so he changed the way this conversation almost was going to take. "Are you new here? I can't remember I have seen you before," he said.

"Well, there's many students at Hogwarts, you know. I'm about to start my seventh year. In Ravenclaw, like I told you," Peter said, still smiling. How could he smile like that? Harry had a feeling that he had met someone like Peter before. But who could it be?

They were sitting there in a couple of hours, and talked about stuff. Harry noticed that Ron wasn't speaking as much as the others. He just sat there, with his arms in cross, and glared at Hermione every time Peter said something funny, and made her laugh. Actually, he stared at them all the time.

Suddenly Hermione jumped up, terrified. "Ron! Our prefect duties! And we were supposed to be at the meeting with the Head Boy and the Head Girl and the other prefects two hours ago! Oh, Ron, why didn't you remember!"

"I didn't remember? Well, you're supposed to remember too!"

"But- er- I do everything else! You can do one single thing sometimes, perhaps?"

"Maybe, but you could've remembered too!"

"I – I was… busy. I had much on my mind, like Pe - I mean… all my books! You've got almost no one!"

"So… This is your boyfriend?" Peter interrupted the fight. It looked as though he wasn't too happy.

The compartment fell silent. Both Hermione and Ron blushed. They looked at each other, which made them blush even more.

"No…" Hermione muttered. It sounded as though she had her mouth stuffed with potatoes.

"Pardon?" Peter said.

"No, he's not my boyfriend," she said, some clearer.

"So, you're single?" Peter said, hopefully.

"Yeah."

"Brilliant! So am I." He smiled at Hermione.

Ron cleared his throat. "Weren't you crazy about that prefect-thing?"

"Don't worry!" Peter said. "I'm the new Head Boy, and the meeting is actually…" He looked at his watch. "Oh god! Now!"

"Let's hurry!" Ron said.

"Are you really Head Boy?" Hermione asked. "Then you have to be really smart…"

"What? I thought you had figured out that a long time ago." Peter pretended he was hurt, but started laughing. Hermione giggled, and Ron rolled his eyes.

"Come on!" Ron said. "Or are you two too busy with snogging?"

"Ron!" Hermione said, angry. "I can't believe you did say that!"

"Does it look like we're snogging?" Peter asked with raised eyebrows.

"Maybe not. But you're flirting…"

"Well, there I… agree," Peter said in a whisper, so Hermione couldn't hear.

"Bye, Harry," he said louder. "Oh, hello, young lady. Who are you?"

"This is Ginny Weasley," Hermione said. "Ginny, this is Peter Hanson."

"Nice to meet you," Ginny said, blushing.

_What's wrong with that guy?_ Harry thought. _Both Hermione and Ginny felled for him at one second! _

Peter, Ron and Hermione waved at Harry and Ginny, and ran away, so they could reach the prefect-meeting.

"Then it's just the two of us," Harry said, looking at Ginny, who shut the door.

"Yeah… Did you see that Peter Hanson? Gorgeous!" Ginny said, smiling.

"Yes, I've seen him, because I've been speaking to him for hours."

"Why didn't you come and told me! He's just so hot!"

"Um… Aren't you with Dean?" Harry asked.

"No, we broke up a couple of weeks ago. And besides, it's Hermione he likes (I mean Peter likes her. I don't think that Dean does like her, because he's with Padma). I saw it at once I did see them! And poor Ron! Or poor… He should've done something ages ago!"

"What're you talking about? Poor… Ron?"

"What! You haven't realized he likes Hermione?"

"RON likes… Hermione!" Harry yelled. "God, what a shock…"

"Shock? Honestly, Harry, I didn't know you were that thick."

"I'm thick?"

"Yes! It's so obvious! All the fights and that Viktor-thing… He was jealous! He wanted to go to the ball with Hermione, and then his favourite Quidditch-player came with her…"

"But I thought Ron just wanted that I should win the tournament..?" Harry felt confused.

"He had to say something! He couldn't just tell her his feelings there at that time. Not even Ron is that stupid… And now he's jealous again, at that handsome Peter-guy who chat up the girl he fancies!" Ginny finished, with a look at Harry. He was mouthing like a goldfish. Quickly, he shut his mouth. "How do girls know things like this? Every girl I meet can read peoples minds!"

"Harry, I can't read minds. I just told you what Ron feels, and it's obvious that he likes Hermione!"

"Well, if you say so…"

An hour later Hermione, Ron and Peter came back.

"Who was that Head Girl? I think she likes you," Hermione said to Peter.

"Oh, that's Caroline Dawson, from Hufflepuff. I can't believe that Dumbledore chose her! She's an idiot, she can't do anything right! I bet Cho would've been a much better Head Girl."

Harry looked around at him very fast. "Cho? Cho Chang?"

"Yeah. What about her?"

"Harry was going out with her last year," Ron explained.

"Oh. Not anymore?" Peter asked.

"No. I don't like her anymore. She's with Michael Corner. At least I think she is. Maybe she's got a new one now." Harry said. He felt something on his hand. With surprise in his face, he looked up at Ginny who held it.

"Hermione, can I have a talk with you?" Ron said to Hermione. His ears went a little red.

"Sure." She looked a little puzzled, but followed him out of the compartment. She shut the door and went after him. Ginny and Harry felt excited. It would've been really great if he told Hermione now. Because if Ron told her, and she liked him back, then maybe... _Then maybe I don't have any reason to watch screaming Hermiones and yelling Rons in big fights in the future!_ Harry thought. He fancied the thought.

After a while, they heard yelling. They could hear some words too, like 'Vicky', 'Peter' and 'you're so THICK, Ron!' Ginny and Harry sighed. This wasn't the 'out with feelings' talk they hoped would come. Luckily, Peter was asleep, so he hadn't heard a single word, neither his own name.

Hermione came in, red in her face, muttering: "He doesn't get it. He just doesn't get it."

Ginny and Harry looked at each other.

_This is going to be interesting,_ Harry thought, and when he saw the look at Ginny's face, he knew that she was thinking the same.


	2. Back at Hogwarts

When the train finally arrived at Hogsmeade Station, Harry and Ginny looked extremely relieved. There was an awkard silence in their compartment, because Hermione and Ron didn't talk to each other. And when Peter tried to cheer them up, Ron looked as though he wanted to kill him, so he stopped.

"Well, see ya later!" Peter yelled, and ran to his seventh-year friends from Ravenclaw.

"Goodbye… Peter…," Hermione said, glancing after him.

"Hermione! Why do you like that guy? He's just an idiot Head Boy!" Ron said. He stared at the girl beside him so hard that it looked like his eyes were going to fall out.

"A) I don't like him. I think… And B) didn't we have this conversation some hours ago? Oh, and there's a C) too. C) Weren't we on: 'We won't speak with each other, 'cause we're so mad at the other.'?" Hermione was looking at him. She had completely forgotten Harry and Ginny.

"Oh, please Hermione!" Ron said. "Okay, let's talk again, but why do you like Peter _Handsome_? Oh, of course, I did just say it! It's because he's _handsome_!"

_Peter Handsome?_ Hermione thought. _Well, it could be a good nickname. Hermione, stop! You wouldn't have looked at him if he wasn't that cute._ But a different voice popped up in her head. _But Ron is cute too. It's so sweet when he looks jealous._

"All right, that's enough!" Harry said. Ron and Hermione looked up surprised. "Can't you two please… Er – stop with your rows?"

"What rows?" Ron questioned.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Ron, just stop bothering her. Okay?"

Ron muttered an answer, but no one could hear him. Hermione sighed.

_Why doesn't he just admit it? He _must_ fancy me. It has been obvious since fourth year. And I guess it's obvious that I like him too…_ she thought. But what about Peter? He was the most charming person Hermione had ever met. He was funny, handsome (which even Ron did notice), nice, smart, he was Head Boy, and he had a lot of girls running after him (which she did see now. Peter didn't seem to care, though) and it looked as though he liked her, Hermione Granger, the bossy know-it-all bookworm. How could it be possible?

But Ron was cute too, especially when he was jealous (_Hermione. Stop thinking the same thing all the time_). She sighed again. She knew Ron much better than Peter, but Peter did understand her so much more than Ron. And he was really popular. Ron was not.

Hermione went into the Great Hall in company with Ron and Harry. She looked at Harry. He grinned. She knew why. He did love Hogwarts; it was like his home. Much more like a home should be than number 4, Privet Drive. Harry always mentioned how terrible the Dursleys were.

She looked over at Ron. He was staring at her. When Hermione looked at him, he looked away, blushing. Hermione picked up some courage and took his hand. Ron was shocked when he felt his hand in Hermione's. She pretended that she didn't notice of this, and walked to the Gryffindor table with in her hand in Ron's. Harry ran to Dean and Seamus and started to talk about Quidditch. Ron tried to smile when he saw Dean.

"Ron," she whispered, so no one but him could hear what she said. "He's not with Ginny anymore, he's with Padma Patil."

"What? They've broken up?" Ron said loudly. A few girls turned around to look at him. Hermione and Ron were reminded of their hands, and let go immediately. Ron even took a small step away from her.

"Yes, they have," Hermione said, quieter than Ron.

"So, who is she dating now?" he said, small eyed.

"No one." But Ron still looked suspicious, so Hermione repeated, "No one! Seriously!" Ron was a bit happier, and looked over at Harry, grinning.

They sat down and waited for McGonagall, the Sorting Hat and the first years. They talked for a couple of minutes, before the Gryffindor Head and the anxious little kids entered the room. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat in front of everyone. It started to sing:

_Together, we're at Hogwarts now.  
You'll be sorted, and you wonder 'how?'  
That is why I am here,  
I will sort you anywhere.  
Hufflepuff, is that where you belong?  
Then you're nice, like in a famous song!  
The very brave persons are in Gryffindor,  
if you're placed here, you're good for sure.   
Slytherin; the house for they who're not very nice,  
And pureblood is a really blessed price.  
Ravenclaw, are you really that smart?  
Then I have to congratulate you,  
it's coming from my heart.  
What house is the best for _you_?  
I'll find out, because I am smart for two!_

The everyone in Hall started to clap, and the sorting began. The first student was a tiny girl with a long, blond ponytail, named 'Akers, Amber'. All the students were completely silent. The Hat was sure: "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table began to applaud wildly. Amber smiled and ran to an empty seat and sat down.

_This is going to take ages,_ Hermione thought, staring at the table. She was as hungry as a wolf (or hungry like a Ron, perhaps). She hadn't eaten on the train; she'd been too busy with talking to Peter.

It did really take ages, before 'Zuda, May' got sorted to Slytherin. The food finally showed up.

"Finally!" Hermione cried, and started to eat, fast. Ron (and Harry, too, this time) stared at her.

"Are you feeling all right?" Harry asked.

"O' course!" Hermione said through a lot of meat. She swallowed and was about to explain why she ate like a pig when a familiar voice behind her said, "Hey! Are you hungry?" It was Peter. He laughed. 'Oh, his laughter is so soft, so hearty, so… him…' Hermione thought.

"A bit," she answered. "Why are you here?"

"Well, I just wonder if you'd… do homework with me tomorrow?" His voice was suddenly a bit anxious.

"Of course I will!" Hermione beamed.

"Great! What about five o' clock in the library?"

"It's a date!"

"Okay, see you there!" Peter grinned at her, and she was just so excited. _I am going to meet Peter Hanson. Alone!_

When Peter was gone, Ron said with a hint of anger, "'It's a date'? What good friends you are, just after one day!"

"It's just something we say, Ronald."

"Ronald? Can't you just call me 'Ron'?"

"Well, I can't remember that I've called you 'Ronald' so often, and I decide what I'll call you on myself!"

"_Lobo nisista_," Ron said, and went into the Gryffindor common room, together with his best friends. "_Lobo nisista_? Why can't they use real words as passwords?"

"It _is_ a word," Hermione automatically said. "_Lobo nisista_ is a spell which helps you to be a good kisser."

"Oh."

She said good night to the guys, and walked slowly up to her dorm. Parvati and Lavender came into the common room too, and the three of them started a little conversation.

"So, how it is like to be with Ron?" Parvati asked Hermione.

"Excuse me? I'm NOT with Ron!"

"Yeah, right!" Lavender snorted.

"I'm serious! Of course I'm not with Ron; he's my best friend…" Hermione said.

"Oh, come on, Hermione!" Parvati said. "Everyone can see it! You like him, he likes you. It is just – so – OBVIOUS! You HAVE to be together!"

"Obvious?" Hermione would say something more, when… _Hermione, you thought exactly the same thing a few hours ago! You can't deny that!_

Parvati looked at her, grinning. "Obvious? Duh."

"Are you going to meet your _boyfriend_ tomorrow?" Lavender asked, giggling.

"He's not my boyfriend, and I'm not going to meet him except from the usual stuff, like Great Hall, classes, the common room, you know… But I'm going to meet Peter Hanson in the library tomorrow!" Hermione's eyes suddenly got very big. Why did she say that?

"Oh my gosh! Are you kidding?" Lavender and Parvati gasped.

"Um… No… But sorry, I'm just so tired, so I think that I should go to bed." Hermione left Parvati and Lavender, who had their mouths so open so wide that you could fit your fist inside.

Hermione changed into her night dress and went to bed. She couldn't sleep; she just thought of Ron and Peter… (The same as always; how cute Ron was when he was jealous and stuff like that.)

Suddenly, a thought hit her. She thought that Ron was jealous, but what if he wasn't? His behaviour reminded her of how he behaved when he saw Ginny with a boyfriend. Maybe he just thought of Hermione as a sister, just like Ginny. _Oh no. That _can't_ be!_ she thought, scared of what Ron did think about her now. She'd grabbed his hand for no reason! She had probably scared him off. And maybe Ron didn't like Peter for the same reason he hadn't liked Dean or Michael Corner!

_No, no, no, NO!_

She wished that she had her own Fairy Godmother, but she knew that Fairy Godmothers only appeared in Muggle fairytales. She had to do things on her own.

_Oh, please help me. Please. PLEASE!_ she thought so loud that she was scared someone else had heard it, but they hadn't.

"Please…" she whispered.


	3. You're in love with your best friend!

The sun shone through the window in Ginny's dormitory. Ginny wouldn't get up; it was so wonderful to sleep in the wonderful bed. But she didn't sleep anymore, thanks to Jane.

"Ginny, get up!" Jane said. "We have to be in the Great Hall!"

"No… Please, no…" Ginny muttered. Then she sat up in bed quickly. "What? We have to be in the Hall? I didn't know it was that late… You should've said that at once!"

"Don't listen to her, Ginny…" another voice mumbled. Missoalda "Missy" Adams. "It's just 6 AM…"

Ginny, who tried to pull a sock on her foot very fast, stopped moving. "6 AM? It's six o'clock? Just 6..?" she said softly. A little too softly, which wasn't a good sign when it was Ginny Weasley. "JANE DARLA JOHNSON! This happens EVERY year! You have to wake us early on first school day EVERY SINGLE year… WHY!" All this screaming woke up the last girl on their dorm, Clara Dobbs.

"Oh no, not this year too…" Clara moaned.

"Why I do wake you up? A ridiculous question, but I'll answer. We have to have much time; I won't have too little of it…" Jane said.

"BUT WE DON'T HAVE TOO LITTLE OF IT!"

"I know," Jane said, smiling broadly. "That's because I got you up!"

Ginny went down to Great Hall together with Jane, Clara and Missy. Ginny was still mad at Jane, but she tried to keep it to herself. _Jane is really not that bad,_ Ginny thought. _Yeah, but she is still waking you so BLOODY early!_

"Hi Ginny," a voice in front of her said. She looked up. It was Hermione. She looked a little pale.

Ginny was just going to say 'Hey!' back, when Hermione grabbed her arm and asked: "Can I talk to you a bit? In private…"

"Sure you can," Ginny answered, while she waved to the other girls. Hermione and Ginny went, with Hermione in the front, to the empty Charms classroom.

"So, what's up?" Ginny asked. "Are you all right?"

"I don't know, really… I mean – I don't know if something's up, but… I'm a little scared… No, I'm not scared, but…"

"Just tell me. I'll listen to you." Ginny said, and then Hermione told her everything: Ron, Peter, how she had taken Ron's hand, how jealous she _thought_ Ron was and then her concern about that he maybe just did think of her as a second Ginny…

"…and if he just thinks of me like a sister, then I've made a complete fool of myself," Hermione finished. It was almost a hint of desperation in her voice.

Ginny thought for a while before she answered her friend: "Well, to everyone else that could've made sense, but not to me. Do you know why? Because I am Ron's sister, so I know him very well. Not that you don't know him, but I know him in another way. When he's mad at me and my boyfriends, it's because he doesn't think that they're good enough for me. I reckon he wants me to get together with a boy he has chosen…" Ginny rolled her eyes. "But he doesn't behave like that with you. He looks so jealous! Just think about the Yule Ball… About that Vicky-thing, I mean. He was just so mad! And everyone was completely sure that he liked you. Well, everyone, except from Harry. He is really thick sometimes… I had a chat with him yesterday, on the train. We talked about you two, and he didn't understand that Ron fancies you! Honestly…"

"What?" Hermione croaked. "You told Harry?"

"Hermione, the whole school knows, so why shouldn't your best friend know? But back to my point. I'm totally sure that he likes you. Just his reaction when you talked with Peter…"

"Sure?"

"Yup. So, you're going to do homework with Peter at 5 o' clock? He asked you out?" Ginny said, eagerly.

"Um… he didn't ask me out, but… Yes, I'm going to meet him afterwards. Do you think Ron is angry?"

"Who cares? If he really likes you, which he does, he has to take the first step rather soon!"

Hermione and Ginny went slowly down to breakfast. They had a lot of time. It was 7:45 AM. Ginny cursed Jane, as usual; it was not a first day of the term without cursing Jane for waking her too early. When they came into Great Hall, Ron and Harry waved at Hermione. Ginny hesitated, but when Harry shouted: "Gin! Over here!" she walked over to him with Hermione.

It was so boring. History of Magic, her last class of the day. Ginny looked over at Clara Dobbs, who sat beside her. She looked back; both sighed, and both thought the same: _Why are we here? Why _are_ we in this class?_

Ginny wrote a note, quickly: 'Hey Clara! Wanna do homework with me in the library? Answer, or I'll say to everyone that you're with Vincent Crabbe! ;)' She gave the note to Clara, and Clara started to write back in panic. Ginny grinned. The warning about Crabbe was terrifying to Clara. Of course she wasn't with Crabbe, but if THAT rumour came out to the public, everyone would looking for the root of the rumour, and maybe even believe it!

Ginny received Clara's note and read:

'Vincent Crabbe? Are you crazy! That's the last thing I want everyone to know! And it's not true. NOT TRUE. Vincent Crabbe? Are you cra- Never mind. But the point is: I have never been, I will never be (and I'm not now either) Crabbe's girlfriend. Hope you get it. Homework in the library, you say? Sure, I need help with the Potions essay we got today…'

Ginny wrote under Clara's handwriting:

'Okay, see you five o' clock in the library!'

'Anything, if you don't make that rumour about… You-Know-What.'

'What rumour do you mean? The one I told you to make up last time, the one about 'picture of Snape under Clara's pillow'? Or 'Clara's favourite food: Bugs in soup', or 'Clara's favourite book: On the chicken farm' or… the one I made up now? That Crabbe thing? That you were deeply in love with each other since day one? That you love to kiss each other with all your heart? And that you love to do something more than that? That you love to have passionate s-' Here Clara yelled aloud and grabbed the parchment from Ginny.

Even professor Binns noticed Ginny's laugh and Clara's yelling. "Miss Waffle and Miss Dolls, is there any problem?" He, and the rest of the class, stared at the two of them.

"No, professor," Ginny said between giggles.

"No, not… any… problems, pro…fessor," Clara said, with anger in her voice.

"Very well," Binns said, and continued to babble about something no one would ever listen to.

Clara wrote quickly and gave the note to Ginny. 'So, five pm?'

'Yes, if you really want to leave your gorgeous Vincent alone.'

'Shut up.'

When Ginny had eaten with her Gryffindor friends, she went to the library and walked to Clara, who had taken a table with two chairs. She looked a bit impatient.

"Um… why are you looking like the only thing you want to do is to embrace your homework? I'm not that late."

"Aren't you? Look at your watch."

"Oh yeah, terribly late. Two minutes." Ginny said sarcastically.

"Whatever. Let's start with our potion essay. I really don't understand this! And Snape, the old git, is always complaining about me being such an idiot. Can you believe him? Dork. But he's…"

But Ginny hadn't heard a word of what Clara said. She just stared at a table behind lots of Potion books. There sat Hermione and Peter, laughing at each other. When they finally stopped with the laugh, they smiled. Peter grinned to Hermione and touched her hand. She looked flattered, for some reason. Maybe something Peter had said. Ginny sighed. She didn't fancy the two together. Peter was gorgeous, for sure, and Hermione wasn't bad-looking after all, and both were smart, but still… They just didn't fit… Peter was too perfect. Okay, so maybe Hermione was the best student in her year, but so what? She wasn't that nerdy. Ginny thought of her as a normal teenager. Actually, she admired Hermione, because she didn't pretend that she was someone else; she was herself.

Ginny had a weird feeling about Peter. _He reminds me of someone…_ she thought. Her thoughts automatically flew to Tom Riddle. _No! It's not him. Well, they've almost got the same looks, but Riddle didn't act like Peter does. No, it must be someone else…_ She shook her head and tried to think at something else than who Peter's 'double' (if you could say it so) was. Her gaze went to a red-haired guy hiding behind a large book called _How can you explain your secret feelings towards your Divination teacher?_ He sat with his arms crossed while scowling at Hermione and Peter.

Ginny snorted. _Hmm. I really wonder who that can be._ Everyone could see his Weasley-hair and his usual, jealous look (which happened every time he saw Hermione with a boy).

Clara had also seen Ron. "Oh, isn't he cute?" she sighed.

"What?"

"Do you think I've got any chance on him?" Clara said, watching him with a little smile.

Ginny knew that Ron would never, NEVER like Clara that way, so she didn't answer, but tried to save the situation with a Crabbe joke. "But you can't let your dear Vincent alone! He'll probably go and kill himself!"

"Shut up!" Clara said, throwing a book at her. "Honestly, do I have any chance on him?"

Ginny bit her bottom lip. She wouldn't make Clara sad, but she couldn't lie, either! _Oh, what shall I tell her? I've got to let her focus on something else…_

"Clara, look at that book he's holding!" Ginny said. "Do you think he knows what he's 'reading?'"

"Dunno," Clara muttered; it looked like she'd got Ginny's point.

Ginny felt a little mean, but what should she say then? _Ginny, it's not your fault! Honestly! You can't lie and you didn't exactly TELL her, so... You're innocent!_

Ginny sighed. "Do you mind if I help my brother with his Astronomy questions a bit? He looks completely lost."

"Whatever. I'll go to my dorm," Clara said, packing down her stuff.

Ginny would give Clara an apology, but she started to think again. _What shall you apologize for? It's NOT your fault!_

She shrugged. "Okay." 

While Clara quickly left the library for the common room, Ginny went to Ron. She cleared her throat. "Ron, professor Trelawney isn't that bad, _perhaps_, but honestly! Find someone at your age!"

Ron jumped up. "What? What were you saying? Something about Trelawney?"

"Look at your book."

"Huh?" He picked up the book he was 'reading', and his eyes widened when he saw the title. "_'How can you explain your secret feelings towards your Divination teacher?'_ Oh no, Gin… that's so not true! You really don't think that I-"

"No, Ronald, I don't think you have any good feelings about that hag, because I'm sure you aren't reading after all!" Ginny started to get mad at him.

Ron got very Weasley-red. "What are you talking about? I don't understand what-"

Ginny wished she could shout at him, shout at him that he was a lousy loser, but she couldn't. Not in front of Hermione and Peter. Instead she grabbed her brother's shirt and pulled him out of the library and into the empty Charms classroom Hermione had brought her earlier that day. Ron protested but Ginny didn't care; now she would tell him, honestly, what everyone knew… 

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!"

"Yes?" Ron answered, terrified.

"YES? I'll give you 'yes', oh yeah, I'll do… What I am talking about, huh? You don't understand me, HUH? Alright…" She breathed deeply before she continued. "JUST ADMIT IT, the only reason you were in the library is that Hermione and Peter were there!"

"Um…no, I was actually study-"

"OOOOOH! That's SO not TRUE! COME ON, RON! Everybody knows!"

Ron was looking a little bit scared, but he dared speak. "Everybody knows… what?"

"THAT YOU'RE COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND!"

Ron lost the entire colour in his face. Ginny thought he was going to deny what she had said, but he just squeaked, "How?" He was looking like a lost puppy; she suddenly lost all her anger.

"Ron," she sighed, and sat down with him. "You're just so obvious. Both of you."

He had a weird look at his face. "Both of- You mean- You mean that she-"

Ginny smiled. "Yes. Remember your fourth year? You got jealous at Viktor all the time? And Hermione got jealous every time you seemed to like Fleur?"

"Blimey, was she jealous? I just thought that she didn't like her… because Fleur was so beautiful and Hermione- well, she wasn't." _What? That doesn't make any sense!_ Ginny thought, shocked.

Ron smiled slightly. "I'm a lousy liar, aren't I? Of course Hermione is pretty; she's actually the most beautiful creature I've ever seen… And at the Yule Ball… She was pretty at that time, but- (just say I'm insane) every time I watch her I'll see an extremely pretty girl… Much better-looking than before, I can't explain it! She just gets better and better every minute…"

"Aaaww…" Ginny said, smiling. "Know what? That could almost be a wedding speech."

"What? Wedding? No, no, no, I think I'll wait a bit with that," Ron said, now red again.

"You're so stupid, Ron!" Ginny said (but laughed a little at the same time), and hugged her brother so much that he couldn't breathe. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…" she muttered, still holding Ron in her arms. 

"Gin?" Ron said. He sounded somewhere around choked. 

"Sorry," she said, and let him go. They sat in silence for a while before Ginny spoke again.

"So… you're gonna tell her?" she said, looking Ron in his eyes.

"NO! Are you crazy?" Ron shouted.

"I'm not crazy, but I think YOU are!" Ginny said, with a little bit of her earlier anger in her voice. "You know your feelings towards her, and you know that she fancies you, and still you won't tell her?"

"No, I don't know that she likes me, and neither do you. You just THINK that she might like me. Tell me, how can you be absolutely sure that she feels the same way?"

Ginny was just about to open her mouth, but she closed it again. _I can't tell him that she talks to me about it all the time; Hermione does actually trust me._

"Thank you. Now I know that there's almost no chance there. Thanks, Ginny," Ron said sarcastically.

"No! It's not that!" Ginny said, desperate. "I just KNOW that she likes you. I just know… Trust me."

"You know I trust you, but I can't be sure. I won't ruin our friendship."

Ginny bit her lip; if she hadn't known they were made for each other, she would have thought that he sounded wise. She had to make him tell her! "But what about Peter Hanson! Hermione fancies you, but I think she actually does the same thing with him!"

Ron looked so sad; Ginny would do almost everything to take that look away from him. "Yeah, I know," he said. "That bloody Peter is a problem. He's perfect for Hermione, isn't he? Bloody handsome, bloody Head Boy, bloody smart, bloody funny, I bet he's bloody rich too. Did you see that cloak of his? And bloody popular, the list doesn't end. Hermione deserves a bloody perfect guy, doesn't she? Yeah, she does; she deserves the best…"

When Ron continued with staring at the walls for ten more minutes, Ginny thought it best to leave. She shut the door silently behind her. _Poor thing,_ she thought. _Ron does really deserve Hermione. He must love her! But he won't dare to tell her… Oh, I hope he will do it soon. I really hope he'll do._


End file.
